Author(s): Irena Vipavc Brvar (CESSDA/ UL-ADP)
Esteban Gonzalez (Technical University of Madrid) opened the session by introducing the workshop’s objective, which is to explore the concept of open science and various initiatives from universities in Europe. He highlighted the efforts of institutions such as Aalto University, Polytechnic University of Bucharest, Technical University of Madrid and Istanbul Technical University regarding open science. Esteban outlined the workshop format: presentations about open science policies and activities, followed by a roundtable discussion with experts. He emphasized the importance of exchange between academic professionals working within universities and those in research facilities.
Catalin Negru (National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest) presented the EELISA InnoCORE project, which aimed to develop a framework for promoting open science across universities in the EELISA Alliance. The project focused on four key pillars and ten open science dimensions, including citizen science, open education, research data management, and FAIR data. Catalin highlighted that while some dimensions, like open access, were more developed, others, such as open evaluation, needed more attention. The framework consists of an Open Science Strategic Guide and a toolkit to help universities implement policies and resources to advance open science. The framework proposes a three-phase approach: learning (gaining knowledge), support (harmonizing practices), and growth (scaling practices). It also defines three institutional profiles—learners, achievers, and experiencers—each with specific activities. Key components include Open Science Ambassadors, who support events and strategies, and the Open Science Learning Hub, a platform offering courses and resources to foster open science knowledge.
Source: Presentation slide from Catalin Negru
Mikko Mikkola (Aalto University), shared details about the university’s open access policy for its key research infrastructures. Aalto, a public foundation university in southern Finland with six schools and over 14,000 students, operates 11 significant infrastructures vital to research, and teaching. Mikko explained that Aalto developed the policy to ensure transparency and accessibility to these facilities for external users. While the services are not free, academic users can access them at cost, and external users pay market prices. Aalto prioritizes internal research, limiting external use to 20% of capacity to avoid commercialization. Mikko also highlighted Aalto’s commitment to responsible international relations, ensuring compliance with EU sanctions. The open access policy is publicly available on their website.
Florentina Predescu (Polytechnic University of Bucharest) presented the work of the Association of Romanian Universities, Research and Development Institutes (ANELIS PLUS), which her university is a part of. The association represents the interests of its members, focusing on acquiring electronic scientific resources for education and research, and promoting open access to Romanian scientific publications. The association’s major initiatives include building a national repository for scientific literature and implementing transformative agreements with publishers to enable open access to research articles. Florentina highlighted how the association funds access to scientific resources, focusing on electronic resources and open access initiatives. They aim to raise awareness and encourage open access publishing among Romanian researchers through events like workshops and awareness days. Additionally, she mentioned transformative agreements with publishers like Springer, Wiley, Elsevier, and others that allow open access publication under specific conditions.
Antti Rousi (Aalto University), discussed the university’s involvement in the Unite! project, a partnership of seven universities in Europe. He presented the project’s key outputs, including a strategic roadmap for open science practices and a comprehensive handbook. The handbook discusses the findings from interviews with over 70 research teams across Europe, offering insights into how universities can adopt open science practices and overcome challenges. Antti emphasized the importance of a holistic approach to open science, including open collaborative practices within institutions and open innovation practices that extend beyond the university. He also highlighted Aalto University’s open and free training events on data stewardship and open science, available to all, aiming to promote shared knowledge and collaboration within the university alliance and beyond.
Source: Presentation slide from Antti Rousi
An extensive and insightful roundtable debate followed, during which panellists shared diverse perspectives on the importance of Open Science, its challenges, and the strategies for fostering its adoption.
Key Points:
- Why Open Science is Important:
- OS promotes transparency, helping prevent redundant research across countries and disciplines, saving resources like time, money, and infrastructure.
- Sharing data and outputs, especially for underserved communities (e.g., African farmers), helps make research more impactful globally.
- OS is necessary in times of economic crisis because it reduces unnecessary duplication and helps allocate resources efficiently.
- Challenges in Adopting Open Science:
- Time and effort: Researchers, particularly postdocs and doctoral students, are under pressure to graduate and have limited time for OS practices.
- Lack of direct rewards: OS benefits the community in the long term, but immediate benefits to individual researchers can be limited.
- Cultural resistance: Researchers may be hesitant about open access due to fear of public scrutiny or mistakes being exposed.
- Infrastructural issues: Institutions struggle with integrating open science practices into existing structures, and researchers may not be familiar with necessary tools like data repositories or open access publishing.
- Collaborations and Training:
- Collaboration between universities and research facilities can accelerate scientific progress. Open Science practices, such as shared training platforms and joint resources, promote inclusivity and accelerate research.
- Training for researchers, staff, and even librarians is crucial to foster a culture of open science. Awareness of tools like data repositories and licensing is key, but the overwhelming amount of training materials can be a barrier.
- Recognizing and Rewarding Open Science:
- Incentives: Universities could implement policies where OS practices, such as open data publishing, contribute to academic evaluations or career development.
- Support structures: Providing resources like data stewards and librarians can support researchers in managing open data and ensuring compliance with OS practices.
- Rewards can be both incentives (e.g., career progression points) and requirements (e.g., making OS a graduation or employment requirement).
In conclusion, the roundtable highlighted that Open Science is not just about open data but about fostering a culture of collaboration, transparency, and trust. For Open Science to thrive, there is a need for a comprehensive strategy that involves not just researchers but all stakeholders, from university administrations to funders, and from policymakers to the public.
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Stay tuned for more insights and discussions as we continue to explore the fascinating world of research infrastructures.
About RItrainPlus CoP
The RItrainPlus CoP provides a forum for discussion about relevant issues and opportunities for knowledge and best practices sharing through a peer learning approach that would support research infrastructures (RIs) and core facilities (CFs) in their specific managerial and operational challenges. The CoP offers new community meetings every two months, and by signing up, you will be able to access the meeting recordings and materials. This is a great opportunity to learn from experienced professionals and stay up-to-date with the latest best practices in the research infrastructure landscape. Sign up to the RITrainPlus Facebook CoP, and follow RItrainPlus on LinkedIn and X to stay tuned about upcoming events!